Obama’s Amnesty: Congress can pass the bill tomorrow

INDIANAPOLIS, November 21, 2014 — After the election, President Obama had his work cut out for him: How could he stay relevant? How can he do that, given that his “policies, every one of them,” were on the ballot and were soundly rejected?

“Squirrel!” yell the Democrats, pointing to something that Obama — as a senator in 2006 and as a presidential candidate in 2008 — promised: amnesty for illegal immigrants. He did nothing about it when his party controlled congress in 2009-10, and he didn’t make appeals to Congress later. He sat on legislative initiatives in this direction, then decided, as he has so many times, to issue a royal decree. This one directs the Department of Homeland Security to ignore the law and invites foreigners from selected countries across our border.

Obama has set into play mechanisms for illegals to receive the benefits of citizenship, including welfare, drivers’ licenses, schooling, medical care, and eventually (especially in states where no voter ID is required) the right to vote as though they were Americans.

For a week, prominent Democrats have been running interference, citing amnesty mistakes made — largely legally — by former presidents, Reagan in particular. Reagan’s mistake (he didn’t grant amnesty by fiat, which is criminal) was backed by Congress, and history has shown that it was, as he later admitted, the biggest mistake of his presidency

On Thursday night, Obama said he understands how Americans feel, particularly those who immigrated according to the rules. “Families who play by the rules watch others flout the rules.” It’s been this way for decades, and for decades, those who skirt the rules have paid the price for their criminal activity. Until now, apparently

“We have more agents and technology deployed to our southern borders than at any time in history.”

True, but Obama continues to tell them to invite illegals over the border. He said that illegals are being deported in record numbers. Untrue; turn-backs are counted today as if they were actual deportations. Turn-backs — people denied entrance to the U.S. at the point of entry — were not counted as deportations until Obama decided to fudge the number.

The argument that “Republicans have not addressed this problem” is irrelevant. Republicans were irrelevant for the first two years of his reign, when he did nothing about this now-pressing problem. Republicans are also irrelevant to this unconstitutional action.

Obama said, “Over the past six years, deportations of criminals are up over 80 percent.” Mr. President, every single illegal immigrant is a criminal. That’s what “illegal” means. We expect people who live in our country to be here legally. To follow our laws.

Obama outlined some of the conditions for his amnesty. If the invaders have been here over five years and have U.S.-born children, they must agree to pay taxes, register, undergo a criminal check. Then they may stay temporarily without fear of deportation. He says this does not apply to future criminal border-jumpers.

At least not until he issues another proclamation.

To those in Congress who say he can’t do this, he says, “Pass a bill.”

In other words, “Legitimize the illegal act I’m committing today, by passing a bill to allow it tomorrow.”

The correct solution is to deport illegals, whenever and wherever they are found. As for “ripping the babies out of their parents’ arms,” we needn’t do that. All we need to do is, with the cooperation of Mexico, build deportation centers where families can be kept together, legally, in Mexico, until they conform to our laws.

Obama doesn’t want to see “children whose mothers might be taken away from them just because they didn’t have the right papers.” There is nothing wrong with their papers, Mr. President; they have no valid papers.

“We were strangers once, too,” our Hawaiian / Indonesian president says. But our ancestors assimilated legally into American culture, often under terribly hard conditions. They learned English, paid taxes, and operated in the sunlight. They did not come to America cheating the system and expecting special treatment — and getting it.

The President says he “feels strongly” about this. So strongly, in fact, that he did nothing about it in 2009 when he had a majority big enough to push any bill through over Republican objections. If he feels so strongly now, why did he wait until after the election to announce his unconstitutional plans? Is it because, a month ago, he did not feel strongly enough to risk his party’s majority; now that it’s blown, he has nothing left to lose?

The President did not mention anything about having immigrants learn English, as generations of immigrants have done, to assimilate into American life. He is not interested in their assimilation; he just wants to breed new Democrats, or perhaps to become the father, not of anything American, but of Azatlan.

This whole charade, this unconstitutional power play, leads to another problem for the country: The division of powers and the legislative monopoly on legislating are again diminished. The Constitution is again disregarded. The foundation of our country is again eroded, and at an ever-faster pace.

Congress, Republican or not, is cowed and paralyzed. Will there be impeachment over this or any of the president’s other crimes against the Constitution? Not a chance. Will congress jealously guard its duty to be the only legislative branch of the government? They forgot about this in the 1930s. Will America survive? Not for long – the name may go on, but the spirit and structure are critically damaged.

Bottom line: Rep. Joe Wilson’s rude call from the gallery, “You lie!” has never been more true.

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Tim Kern taught economics for fifteen years, and discovered that understanding life is easy; it’s recognizing reality that takes practice. He holds a music degree, and later earned an MBA in finance from Northwestern University. He has lived across the US, and now makes his home in Anderson, Indiana.